SEARCH FOR OIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20840, 6 April 1931, Page 5

SEARCH FOR OIL.

PROSPECTS IN AUSTRALIA. GEOLOGICAL EXPERT'S REPORT, 1 iio Australian geological adviser, Dr, W, („!. Woolnough, in the report on liis lour of inspection of the oilfields of tlip United States and Argentina, staled that lie had discussed with loading American oil men tlie risks of introducing foreign capital into Australia in the search for oil. They regarded the risks as negli* giiile. "Given intelligent, active, honest and up-to-date . research," Dr. Woolnough says, "the prospocts of obtaining oil in Australia are good. Tt is considered that tha introduction of oversea capital and technique under stringent safeguards is desirable. There appears to exist in the minds oi mariv Australians a very widespread belief that oil does not and cannot exist in that country. This belief is sedulously fostered by certain interested persons. Ifc produces a psychology which is detrimental to the vigorous prosecution of the search."

Dr. Woolnougli declares that, despite tlie many opinions to the contrary, geological formations in Australia are quite consistent with the presepce of oil. I{o adds that in a majority of cases oil is discovered in well-defined and clearlymarked geological formations ant) that research in Australia should be confined as nearly as possible to the best structures which are known to exist. In regard to oil seepages he points out that these are by no means essential to the presence of an oilfield. Seepages were almost completely absent in the States of Oklahoma, lexas and New Mexico, now the greatest oil-producing area in the world. Dealing with the question of the introduction of foreign capital, Dr. Woolnougli says that Australia's lack of experience in the special technique of oil geology and drilling has cost (he country very dearly. J(, seemed doubtful whether bJiore were adequate resources . for research in Australia. There was a very distinct and widespread uneasiness that oversea companies deeply interested in the retention of the Australian market as a useful means of getting rid of some of their excessive surplus production might hinder rather than help in the search. A more insidious danger was that n powerful foreign company might pin-port (o make a genuine search for oil and then by its deliberately arranged lack of success completely discourage any further research. These aspects, Dr. Woolnough said, lie discussed with, the leading American oil men, who regarded the risks as negligible.

NEW ZEALAND APPLES. MARKETING IN BRITAIN, QUESTION OF MARKING. [FROM OUIt OWN CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON, Feb. 26. Mr. IT. T. B. Drew, New Zealand publicity officer, addressed the "Wholesale and Retail. Fruiterers' Advisory Committee of the Empire Marketing Board at the British Industries Fair last week. There were about 30 prominent dealers present from various parts of the country. He read a cablegram the Iligh Commissioner had received from New Zealand, slating that the estimated export of apples to Great Britain this coining season would he about a million cases. The qualify of (ha fruit was expected to be equal to that of the previous season. Co-related with the Empire movement here, said Mr. Drew, bad been the passing of the Merchandise Marks Act. Tjnder its provisions retailers were compelled to mark all apples with their country of origin or as Empire or foreign. This Act, said .Mr. Drew, so far as its administration was concerned, was a dead letter. Not 75 per cent, of the shops put it into force. When Mr. Forbes Was in London bo investigated the matter, but owing to the system of administration of these laws little could be clone. Mr. Drew urged the fruiterers to give the Dominion their goodwill in endeavouring to givt» effect to the law. A representative of Manchester said (bat in his town 90 per cent, of tho shops did not carry out the law. The meeting discussed the matter very sympathetically and decided to firing jt up at their next meeting, when they would pass a well-considered resolution jit favour of a hotter administration of the law. The delegates expressed the view that New Zealand apples had. a very high place in tho estimation of fruiterers in this country. STANDAHDIBED CHEESE. ABOLITION FAVOURED. STRONG TARANAKI CRITICISM. [iiV llil.KU It A I*ll. —OWN COHKESI'ON DENT.] NISW PLYMOUTH, fiMimlny. Following criticism of the control of the dairy industry in the Dominion, the South Taranaki provincial executive of the Fanners' Union at llmvem passed resolutions calling upon the Government to effect regulations to prohibit the export of inferior choose and (ho abolition of standardised cheese. The executive also expressed emphatic disapproval of the use of Iho brand Cheddar for standardised cheese, and requested that the use of the name Cheddar be discontinued as soon as possible. Referring to the name Cheddar on standardised cheese, Mr. 0. Robertson said it had been an almost fatal move to place that naino on such a product. The whole industry, ho added, wus in a topsy-turvy position, with no organisation and no real head, and the question was to whom could the industry turn for proper guidance. Mr. A. W. King said that Cheddar cheese was the best that England and Ireland made. Jt was a shame to put that name on standardised choeso, Jn his opinion, tho uso of the name should bo discontinued, and waxing and standardisation should be abolished. MAI lAKIPAWA COLDFIELDS. ANNUAL MEETING HELD. Tho annual meeting of the Maliakipawa Goldfields, Limited, was hold last week. Mr. J. It. Templin, chairman of directors, presided. "There are excellent possibilities in the claim," staled the chairman. "Now that operations have been so successfully resumed it is expected that the mine itself will, in the future, be able to -pro. vide whatever capital is requiied for development work, in this connection, we can comparo the* quantity of gold won since (he date of registration of the company in October, 1923, to December 31, 1930, 440 ounces, with the quantity won since the mining operations were resumed on January 5, 1931, to March 30, 1031, 298 ounces.''